Page 36 of Diary from an Inked Throne

King squinted at his older brother. “Bro, I don’t know if you noticed, but you’ve been gone for at least half of Levi’s training.”

Dax chuckled and nodded. “Fine. My brothers have trained you.” He paused, waiting for Roarke and King to accept his acknowledgement, and then continued. “Point is, you’re good, Levi. And I want you to tattoo my son’s name on me.”

A lump rose in my throat, and Dax pulled his shirt off. There wasn’t much in the way of blank skin left on his heavily tattooed, fighter’s body, but he turned around and indicated to the space across his upper shoulders. “I didn’t know I’d been saving this spot for something special, but this is why.”

Levi stood and nodded. “Let me go get my kit.”

“I want one too,” I said without even thinking about it.

Dax didn’t argue with me. I only had one other tattoo, the one he’d given me in such an intimate place that almost no one knew it was there. But this one would be for everyone to see.

“Where do you want it?” he asked.

“On the inside of my arm,” I said without thinking about it too much. “So I can see it every day.”

King beckoned to me. “I’ll do it. My kit is in my car.”

Dax glared at him like he might murder him. “Not a fucking chance you’re putting your ink on my woman.” Then he grinned. “But go get your kit for me because I am.”

I patted King on the shoulder as he got up. “Thanks for offering though.”

He stole a quick kiss, one that was very firmly planted on my cheek, and then winked at his brother and Lynx and Luca, who all looked like they might chop his lips off if he tried that again.

The party kicked off with music, and Hayden served up more amazing food, while Reaper sat with a pencil and a piece of paper and started sketching out a design for Dax’s tattoo.

Mine was much simpler, so Dax and I sat at a picnic table, and he drew our son’s name straight onto my skin in marker.

I marveled at how beautifully he could write letters without any thought, and when he finished, leaning back so I could inspect his work, it was so perfect I almost cried. I wanted his name, Luca’s, and Lynx’s at some point too, but my son had to be first.

While Dax gave Reaper input on the design that would go on his back, he shaved my arm, cleaned it off, and then put his needle into my skin. A tiny mark at first to remind me what it felt like. And then when I nodded, he kissed my lips and permanently marked our son’s name into my flesh.

It didn’t hurt. I’d felt much worse pain, and having this permanent representation of the baby I would give my life for felt good. The buzz of the tattoo gun was soothing, its soft drone blending in with the background chatter of our happy friends, their children, and the men I loved all in one place.

One day I would bring my son back here. I could feel Virginia’s presence in the air, and it felt happy and peaceful. It only cemented in my heart that my child was still alive and well.

We just had to find him.

Dax wiped the excess ink off my arm, and we both stared down at it. Careful not to touch any of the areas he’d just marked, he brought my wrist to his lips and laid a kiss there.

“We’re going to get him back.”

I smiled at him, feeling truly happy for the first time in so long. “I know.”

And I meant it. Every word.

I didn’t know how I knew, but I did.

Dax wrapped some clear film over my tattoo, but before he could put his equipment away, Lynx stepped forward. “Me next.”

Dax looked up at him. “Sure. What do you want? You got ideas or you want to brainstorm something?”

Lynx shook his head. “I want his name on me too.”

Dax and I both froze.

Luca sat at the picnic bench beside Lynx. “I do too.”

Dax choked on his words. “You want the baby’s name?”